Asparagus are the young shoots of a cultivated lily plant. The green vegetable is packed with nutritional value, containing high levels of vitamins A and C, potassium, iron and calcium.

As Diabetes.co.uk reports, a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition suggests that eating asparagus can help with type 2 diabetes management.

Researchers from Karachi University in Pakistan found that regular consumption of the vegetable can keep blood sugar levels in check and increase insulin production in the body.

The findings come from research that involved diabetes-induced rats with low levels of insulin and high blood sugars. Half of the lab rats were fed an extract from the asparagus plant each day for a month, while the other half were treated with the type 2 diabetes drug glibenclamide.